In Japan, off the coast of Iwo Jima and south of Tokyo, a new island has formed during the year. What natural phenomena contributed to the creation of this new island?
As it turns out, the underwater volcano is to blame. New islands tend to form precisely because of such volcanic eruptions. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), prior to the formation of this island, Iwo Jima had experienced fairly regular volcanic tremors that signaled an impending eruption.
University of Tokyo professor Setsuya Nakada told Newsweek that the eruption off the coast of Iwo Jima started last year, but it started again this year.
“When the eruption started last year, the depth of the seabed was 50 meters,” Nakada said. “About 10 days after the resumption of the ferromagnetic eruption, eruptive materials such as rocks and sand accumulated on the sea floor, and their top layer reached the sea surface. As such eruption continued, the islet became larger.”
The Japanese navy and air force monitored the situation until they detected the fact of the eruption, during which high flying ash and sand were also observed. It is not known if the island will persist for years to come, but if the lava movement in the region continues, it is very likely.
Illustration of an underwater volcano. Photo: “Microsoft Bing/DALL-E 3”
2023-11-12 07:34:18
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